Associate Director, Digital Communications & Fellow Engagement

About Braven Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program. We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream. About The Role To achieve Braven's ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Digital Communications & Fellow Engagement to lead a national strategy that meaningfully engages Fellows after they complete the Accelerator and through graduation. This role is responsible for designing and owning Braven's post-Accelerator Fellow engagement strategy, with a particular focus on leveraging communications and social media as tools for behavior change, learning, and outcomes, not just information delivery. The Director will ensure that engagement efforts drive Fellows toward Braven's north star outcomes: internship attainment, interview readiness, and securing a strong first opportunity after college. As a senior individual contributor within Program Operations, this role leads high-impact, cross-functional workstreams with significant organizational stakes. The Associate Director will set strategy, influence decision-making, and build scalable systems to increase Fellow participation in post-Accelerator programming, career pathways, and community engagement, especially through MyBraven and social platforms. This role reports to the Head of Program Operations and works closely with Design, Communications & Marketing, Systems & Data, and Regional teams. What You'll Do Develop and Own the National Post-Accelerator Fellow Engagement Strategy (60%) Design and own Braven's national post-Accelerator Fellow engagement strategy, setting direction and standards for how we engage Fellows through graduation using scalable, data-informed approaches. Shift Braven's Fellow communications from primarily informational to engagement-driven, ensuring messaging and content drive participation in high-impact behaviors tied to career outcomes. Partner closely with Career Communities Directors to ensure communications drive Fellow participation in industry-specific and pathway-specific programming, including graduate school and service year pathways. Own the Fellow engagement strategy for the MyBraven platform, driving adoption, usage, and sustained participation while contributing insights to platform optimization decisions. Establish and monitor engagement metrics that are explicitly connected to Fellow outcomes (e.g., internship attainment, interview readiness, strong first opportunity), ensuring strategy drives results—not just activity. Lead cross-functional alignment and decision-making across Program Operations, Product, Systems, and Marketing to ensure engagement efforts operate as a cohesive national system. Determine the most effective channels and formats (e.g., platform content, social media, email, text) for engaging post-Accelerator Fellows based on data and Fellow behavior. Build feedback loops and continuous improvement mechanisms to refine engagement strategies based on performance, Fellow input, and outcomes data. Lead Social Media as a Core Engagement and Learning Channel for Fellows (30%) Design and lead Braven's social media engagement strategy for post-Accelerator Fellows, positioning social platforms as a key channel for education, skill-building, and motivation—not just brand awareness. Partner with Communications & Marketing to align Fellow-facing social content with Braven's broader brand strategy while clearly differentiating goals, audiences, and success metrics. Define and evolve national vs. regional social media strategies to ensure consistency, relevance, and scalability across markets. Research, test, and implement best practices from high-engagement, student-centered, and early-career social accounts to increase reach, participation, and impact. Use social media as an extension of Braven's career education model—reinforcing key mindsets, skills, deadlines, and opportunities that support Fellows' progress toward internships and strong first opportunities. Establish clear metrics for social engagement that connect to downstream behaviors and outcomes, and iterate strategy accordingly. Lateral Leadership and Organizational Influence (10%) Lead significant cross-functional initiatives and change management efforts, influencing stakeholders without direct authority to drive adoption of new engagement strategies and systems. Serve as a thought partner and advisor to senior leaders on post-Accelerator Fellow engagement, participation trends, and risks to outcomes. Lead and laterally manage regional staff, contractors, and student ambassadors, contributing to Fellow engagement and social content execution. Prepare to take on direct people management responsibilities (e.g., interns or future FTEs) as the function scales. Represent Braven internally and externally as a leader in postsecondary student engagement and career-focused community building. Requirements 5-7 years of progressive experience in engagement strategy, communications, or related fields, including leading complex, cross-functional workstreams. Demonstrated experience developing digital engagement strategies that drive measurable behavior change, not just message delivery. Strong systems‑thinking skills, with the ability to design, execute, and iterate on engagement models that operate at a national scale. Experience using data and insights to connect engagement efforts to outcomes and inform strategic decision-making. Preferred Qualifications Experience designing engagement strategies for postsecondary students, alumni, or early‑career professionals, particularly in workforce development or higher education contexts. Deep understanding of social media and digital engagement trends among Gen Z and emerging Gen Alpha audiences. Experience leveraging platforms such as Salesforce, CRM tools, or digital community platforms to drive participation and learning. Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across national and regional teams. Strong analytical orientation with comfort defining success metrics, interpreting data, and making strategic tradeoffs. Proven ability to thrive in ambiguity, lead through change, and translate complexity into clear direction. Experience that has informed your belief in Braven's mission and prepared you to work closely with Braven's Fellow population. Work Demands Ability to work in‑person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), Newark (NJ), or New York (NY). Will be expected to travel approximately four weeks in the year. Additional Requirements Authorized to work in the U.S. Braven doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship. Application & Interview Process Phone screen with Talent Team member. Performance Task. Interview with Hiring Manager. Panel Interview with Key Partners. Reference Checks. Benefits Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not‑for‑profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. Each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. Starting salary range for this role is $79,200‑$99,000 in Atlanta, $83,600‑$104,400 in Chicago, and $92,000‑$114,900 in New York, NY and Newark, NJ. This is a full‑time, regular, exempt, and benefits‑eligible position at a 50‑hour work week. Benefits include: Unlimited vacation time in addition to org‑wide holidays and week‑long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (minimum 19 days per year). Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family‑building, and hormonal health. Match of your 401(k) contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month. Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents. A one‑month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff. Location We gather in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and work remotely 2 days per week. Candidates must live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA; New York, NY; or Newark, NJ. Equal Opportunity Employer Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor. We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr Braven